Details released on car/building accident
By John Joyce
Published in News on April 22, 2013 1:46 PM
The driver of the Mini Cooper that smashed into the entrance of the Strickland Insurance Group's building at 400 Commerce Court last week and injured one person has been identified as Denise Lynn Speer, 62, of New Bern.
Ms. Speer was attempting to park in the handicapped space directly in front of the office's entry way but her vehicle failed to stop.
According to the accident report filed with the Goldsboro Police Department, Ms. Speer said she hit the brake and the car kept going forward.
Inside the building, 42-year-old Sonja S. Maki was working at her desk when the accident occurred. She was thrown to the floor from the force of the impact and several items fell on top of her.
Ms. Maki was transported to Wayne Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injures.
Witnesses told police they rushed outside in time to see the vehicle rolling backward away from the building. The Mini Cooper hit a street sign before coming to rest against a parked car.
Ms. Speer, uninjured injured in the accident, was cited for failure to reduce speed. The damage to the building was estimated at $25,000.